Category: Life

Islam, Life, SeekersHub Sydney

Join our SeekersConversation this Sunday, Oct 6th!

Raidah Shah Idil

373Free up your Sunday night and join us for another riveting SeekersConversation!

Sunday’s topic is a hotly debated one: The Middle Way – Avoiding Extremes. There’s no shortage of discussion about extremism in the world today, especially when it comes to the context of Muslims living in the Muslim world and the West. Responses vary from those who are quick to condemn Islam as being the cause of extremist behaviour, to the apologists who present a candy-floss version of Islam. I don’t support either extreme (ha), but I am open to a nuanced, balanced and genuine discussion about the causes and cures of extremism.  

I’m looking forward to facilitating a balanced discussion with our esteemed speakers, and I hope that all attendees will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the topic. Shaykh Faraz Rabbani is flying all the way down from Toronto to participate in the weekend’s events, so don’t miss out on your chance to watch him in action. Joining him is Imam Afroz Ali, our teacher and the founder of Al-Ghazzali Centre, now known as SeekersHub Sydney.

Audience members, please feel free to participate in the Q&A section of the night – your questions make a great event even better. If you have any questions leading up to the event, please post your questions here.

In the spirit of fostering positive discussions to build more cohesive, open and connected communities, check out the Radical Middle Way website.

More information about Sunday’s SeekersConversation:

The Middle Way – Avoiding Extremes
With Shaykh Faraz Rabbani & Imam Afroz Ali
Facilitated by Ustadha Raidah Shah Idil

Time: 7:30pm, 6th of October
Location: 299 Belmore Road, RIVERWOOD 2210

An evening of discussion and insight on the causes and cures of extremist behaviour, and how the community can address the crisis in education and spiritual vacuum which can produce disturbed and distorted understandings.

SeekersConversations address issues affecting our communities, discussed over light refreshments.

Cost: Free. This is part of Knowledge without Barriers (donations welcome)

Family, History, Life, Opinion

Balik kampung

Raidah Shah Idil

kampungAs I write this, Irfan and I are getting ready to visit my family in Melaka. I’m excited to visit the place where many generations of my maternal ancestors were born. Migrating at a young age can disconnect families from extended family and our heritage, and I’m glad that I’m able to reconnect with mine, after so long.

I haven’t visited Melaka in years! I think the last time I visited was when I sixteen or seventeen, and I came with my parents and siblings. Today, I’ll be introducing my husband to my grand-uncle for the first time.

On another note, Love InshaAllah posted my “What’s Love Got To Do With It?” article. I’m still so amazed at how much my story connected to readers around the world. Being vulnerable can be scary, but also very, very rewarding.

Islam, Life, Seekers Guidance

From Madinah To Malaysia – my SeekersGuidance blog post

Raidah Shah Idil

imagesCheck out my first SeekersGuidance blog post: From Madinah To Malaysia: Reflections by Ustadha Raidah Shah Idil.

It’s been such a blessing to be present in Kuala Lumpur during the Haul (ceremony of remembrance) of Imam Al-Haddad. Being here at this time has been very serendipitous – when my husband and I booked our tickets to Malaysia, we had no idea so many events would be held! Alhamdulilah for Divine Providence. It’s been so inspiring to be in the presence of scholars, and a beautiful reminder of what really matters in life. Meeting the different sisters from the KL gatherings has been lovely too.

We had a brief reunion with Imam Afroz Ali today after his talk at UTM Masjid. We got to meet Professor Dr. Muhammad Zainy Uthman too! I’ve been watching his videos on Professor Al-Attas, and it was so cool to meet him in person. And then we got slightly lost on the way to another meeting lol. Thunderstorms here are intense, and traffic jams take on a whole new meaning when there’s almost zero visibility.

In other news, we attended the Questions For The Tall White Man event last night and it was so, so awesome to talk about the hard stuff with Shaykh Yahya. He really did keep it real. The night ended with beautiful Qasidah recitations, with the foot-tapping beat of Malay drums (kompang). FUN! More about this later, inshaAllah.

Random note: There is so much amazing food here! And so affordable. Talk about needing to restrain the nafs lol.

 

 

 

 

Counselling, Family, Life, Love, Marriage, Writing

My thoughts on “What’s Love Got To Do With It?”

Raidah Shah Idil

loveMy first publication on The Feminist Wire is What’s Love Got To Do With It?

This is my most vulnerable piece, and it was equal parts painful and purging to write. I’m still stunned and touched by the outpouring of support after the publication of my article! Thank you everyone, for your public and private messages to me, and for all of your FB shares. I’m humbled by and grateful for each gesture of support and solidarity, from friends near and far.

It’s hard being so vulnerable in the public sphere, and admittedly, I’m still feeling quite raw, but some stories need to be told. I’m hoping that what I shared will resonate with others like me, and provide some measure of comfort and support. The wounds we carry from our childhoods turn into scars which we bear as adults, and the right people will love us BECAUSE of them.

Please keep my loved ones in your prayers, especially my parents.

 

art, Beauty, History, Islam, Islamic Museum of Australia, JAAN, Life, Mustafa Davis

Review of JAAN Arts Week

Raidah Shah Idil

1095078_10151807695326352_1187936795_nOne word – awesome.

Although I attended only two of the JAAN Revival Of The Islamic Arts events, I came away energised, inspired, and motivated to continue on my own journey as a writer, poet, and artist. The international guest speaker, Mustafa Davis, gave a great photography workshop last Wednesday and it was good to see the man behind the photographs.

One thing I’ll take away from the workshop is something one of his mentors told him:

If you wanna shoot more interesting photos, be a more interesting person.

Sounds ridiculously obvious, right? But it’s very sage advice. Photography, like all other art forms, is an expression of the artist. Good art comes from a place of honesty and vulnerability. Creating more authentic art is directly linked with our own authenticity as human beings. His honesty about having a difficult childhood really resonated with me, and so did his description of photography being the only way he knew how to express himself emotionally. Writing has always been my outlet.

Random note: He must have used the phrase ‘pretentious photographers’ at least a dozen times during the workshop! I appreciated his attitude that if we put our minds to it and practice, we can all take fantastic photographs. Great photography isn’t just for the…pretentious photographers lol. He made it very clear that it took him a long time to reach the level he’s at now, so that’s encouraging for any of us who are just starting out on an artistic endeavour. Keep at it, and the fruits will come.

Mustafa Davis will be coming back to Sydney in December, so if you’re in any way interested in photography, I can assure you that you’ll enjoy his workshop. I was lucky enough to chat to him after the workshop and I’ll be mulling over what he said to me as I develop my writing, poetry and photography. More on that later.

The Thursday night JAAN Q&A was another great experience. It was  refreshing to hear the thoughts of all the panelists. Whether or not they identify overtly with being a Muslim artist, each has a unique story to tell, and their story is inevitably influenced by the lens of Islam. Being a student of knowledge myself, it was inspiring to learn that Mustafa Davis studied Islam at the hands of scholars for ten years. So in addition to producing films and shooting photographs, he also teaches fiqh on the weekend! Plus, he’s also married and has four children. All in all, I’m glad I’ve finally found an artistic role model and mentor.

Thank you to the panelists, JAAN and IMA crew! Here’s to more events, and to more forward-thinking discussions about art within the Muslim community, and beyond.

Memorable quotes from the night:

Confines can make you a better artist, versus a free-for-all…look at it [boundaries of Islam] as a benefit, and your art will flourish. Mustafa Davis

You get abuse when you challenge people’s worldviews. If you’re comfortable in your beliefs, you won’t care. – Amal Awad

Is writing about sin encouraging sin? Clarify your intentions for every piece. – Zeynab Gamieldien

It’s not revival we’re really looking at….can’t keep looking back. We need a new conversation. – Nazeen Reehman

Singing is da’wah. – Hameed Attai

Family, Islam, Life

Ramadan Mubarak/Selamat Berpuasa!

Raidah Shah Idil

Today marks Day 1 of t1099108_ramadan_3he blessed month of Ramadan 2013/1434 AH (after Hijrah). Welcome, O Month of Mercy! May we live to see many, many more.

Here’s a beautiful reminder of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) sermon during Ramadan.

Looking back on my globe-trotting life, I’ve fasted in a range of different countries: Singapore, Jordan and Australia. From the northern hemisphere, to the equator, and then the southern hemisphere lol. Fasting in the heat of the Arabian summer sure wasn’t a breeze, but something about Ramadan and its winds of mercy made things a lot easier. There’s also something to be said about the body acclimatizing to wherever we happen to be. Ramadan Mubarak to my friends in Jordan! May we be reunited soon 🙂

Coming back to the present, it’s yet another cold winter day in Sydney, which make it a lot easier to abstain from food and water. Back in the 90s, when I was in highschool, we broke our fasts around 8 pm. That was hard, especially compared to the 5:30 pm iftar of the winter months.

Here’s a list of some of my Ramadan goals:

1) Read Qur’an daily, and aim to complete it.

2) Have iftar with my family and in-laws twice a week.

3) Be nice to people.

4) Go to Auburn mosque for tarawih.

Aside from seeing my family and Irfan’s family at iftars, we’re pretty solitary during Ramadan. I think it’s because time is short – by the time Irfan gets home from work to break fast with me, we pray maghrib, eat some more, then get ready to leave for isha and tarawih prayers in Auburn. I apologise in advance to those gracious enough to extend iftar invitations to us!

On another note, I LOVE AUBURN MOSQUE. Let me just add that in caps. I feel like I’m in Turkey, for a start, and hearing the salutations upon the Prophet (peace be upon him) as we rest in between tarawih sets is so, so beautiful. For those who wish to pray there, isha prayer starts at 7 pm. Have a blessed month!

 

Family, Health, Life

Everyday Heroes – My brother, Abdul Hadi :)

Raidah Shah Idil

black-dog-institute-7ce4e1326f093a88a6a4264ea4848087

Today is the 28th birthday of my brother, Abdul Hadi 🙂 I’ve been very blessed to have him in my life. He was my roommate in Jordan, we went to Syria together with our brother Ahmad, and he was my very patient Hajj buddy in 2010.

My brother has courageously stepped up and volunteered for the City2Surf in order to raise funds for the Black Dog Institute. You can find his page here and you can learn more about the Black Dog Institute by clicking here.

Mental illness is a lot more common than most people think. Check out some surprising points from this Black Dog Institute fact sheet:

One in five (20%) Australians aged 16-85 experience a mental illness in any year.

65% of people with mental illness do not access any treatment [3,4]. This is worsened by delayed treatment due to serious problems in detection and accurate diagnosis. The proportion of people with mental illness accessing treatment is half that of people with physical disorders [4].

Rates of depression are slightly higher in women with depression, affecting one in six (17%) compared to one in 10 (10%) men experiencing depression in their lifetime. Across both sub-types, bipolar disorder affects around one in 33 (3%) men and women in their lifetime [1]. However, prevalence of bipolar disorder is probably higher than the statistics suggest, as many cases are often undetected or misdiagnosed.

Please donate to my brother’s fundraising cause, and help him raise funds for an institute which has helped to save so many lives. The Black Dog Institute is working hard to minimise the impact of mental illness, and maybe even one day, prevent them from developing in the first place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life, Love, SeekersHub Sydney

Rants and male-bashing? SeekersHub Sydney says no!

Raidah Shah Idil

969371_589803064377179_1145926861_nThere’s only a few more days to Saturday night’s event! In the spirit of encouraging more audience attendance and participation, I’d like to reassure everyone that our marriage event will not be:

1) A rant

2) Man-bashing session

3) A secret conspiracy to marry everyone off in the room (although if you do find The One there, good for you!)

What it will be, inshaAllah, is a vibrant discussion about some real issues faced by Muslims in the Sydney community. From my experience, most Muslims out there do want to settle down at some point in their lives. Everyone has different challenges in their journey towards finding their spouse – the single Muslim in his/her thirties or forties, the single parent, or the divorcee, just to name a few. We hope to bring these issues out into the open, hear what our panelists have to say, and open the floor to hear what YOU have to say.

Stay tuned for a preview of some of the questions I’ll ask the panelists on Saturday night.

Remember to register for the event by clicking here. See you there!

Islam, Life, Love, Marriage, SeekersHub Sydney

“Why Can’t We Get Married?” SeekersConversation, June 1st 2013 – my thoughts

Raidah Shah Idil

969371_589803064377179_1145926861_n

There you have it, ladies and gentlemen – our exciting first Sydney SeekersConversation for this year! I’ll be facilitating the event, and I’m really looking forward to talking to the panelists as well as opening up the floor for the audience. Most people have a LOT to say about marriage, so this will be interesting.  Come down and join us!

On that note, here’s a run-down of the types of people I’ve come across when it comes to marriage:

1) The Eager Puppies

They’re generally younger and filled with lovely romantic ideals about marriage and its total and utter wonderfulness. The walks along the beach, the hot chocolates by the fireplace, and – of course – the epic foot rubs. Their youth is directly correlated with the distinct lack of BAD SCARRING PAINFUL experiences when it comes to marriage.I’ll get to that category later. Some do get married. And it works out! This is cool. But unfathomable to me.

2) The Jaded

Now we’re getting to the slightly older category who are getting somewhat tired of the unsuitable suggestions from well-meaning friends (read: would THEY even consider marrying the person they’re suggesting?? Um, no!). They’re starting to get a tad weary of the whole thing, and when they are broached about a more suitable potential, hackles are initially raised, and then slowly lowered. When the right guy/girl does come along, all defenses come melting down like ice cream on a hot day. Awww.

3) The REALLY Jaded and Bitter

These are the souls who’ve had many relationship breakdowns, are getting past their supposed marital shelf-life (this varies, but 30 is apparently time to hit the panic button), or who generally have a chip on their shoulder when it comes to marriage. Said chip is about the size of a boulder. Most of them have been unfairly treated at some point in their life, but as with all things, it takes two to tango, and holding on to negativity makes it a lot harder to embrace everything else life has to offer.

Deep down, they’d like to get married too. But you didn’t hear me say that.

4) The Quietly Content

These are a really rare breed, and spotting them is equivalent to finding a kookaburra in the Sahara Desert. This is a category that transcends age, background, blood type, or even gender. Sure, they’d like to get married someday, but they’re happy where they are. Some have had failed relationships before, but they’ve gotten over that REALLY Jaded and Bitter stage, or bypassed it completely. In this Zen-like state, they actually do manage to snag a spouse. Amazing.

5) The Hopefuls

I’d like to think that most people fall in this category. The Hopefuls are our lovably flawed guys and girls who are balancing everything and worry that they’ll fall apart. Falling apart actually does happen on a regular basis, but they pick themselves up, brush themselves off, and send a silent prayer for a loving spouse who’ll complete them and all that jazz. Because they’re so darned nice, they actually stand a better chance of meeting The One. And around the time when they realise they’re already complete, Mr or Mrs Right comes sailing through the door.

6) The I’m Too Tired To Think About It

This is the category specifically for single parents, usually single mums, who are exhausted from raising kids with little or no support. Of course, child-support from ex-partner is usually non-existent. These are the people who are arguably most in need of a loving spouse, but it takes a big heart to take on a new spouse who has his/her own children. Hats off to all men and women who are brave enough to step up and marry single parents. You are heroes!